New Hampshire primary voters delivered a very strong message to the Washington political establishment.
“The days of politics as usual are over.”
Trump 35%…Kasich 16%. Sanders 60%…Clinton 38%.
19 and 22 point victories. In politics a five point win is a blowout.
Record numbers braved the cold, the traffic and the interminably long lines to make their voices heard.
Trump and Sanders won every demographic in every corner of the state.
Trump may be an offensive, self-absorbed braggart and Sanders may be a socialist; discount them if you will. But the numbers don’t lie.
Add in Trump and Sanders strong showings in Iowa and the message from NH resonates in both substance and strength:
“We are mad as hell and we are not going to take it anymore.”
In my view the New Hampshire primary brought to a crescendo the growing anger and frustration with government and politics that has been building for decades.
Americans have watched the systematic intuitional failure of government play out before their very eyes. Whether brought about by greed, incompetence…or both…government no longer works for the taxpayers who fill its coffers. From the misguided war in Iraq, the failures at the VA, the SEC complicities in the collapse of the banking industry, the tapping of phones and emails, the incompetence displayed in the aftermath of Katrina, the failure to provide even the most basic services in Flint, Michigan…taxpayers have endured what can only be described as complete institutional failure in our government.
The voters responded by orchestrating wave change elections at the polls. First Bush then Obama…Pelosi then Boehner. All voters got for their efforts was gridlock and crony capitalism. And while middle class wages regressed the rich kept getting richer. “ Enough is enough.”
Now the contestants move on to Nevada and South Carolina. The candidates will face a far different electorate. The pearly white faces that dominated the rallies and town halls of Iowa and NH will bear a much darker complexion. 65% of the electorate in South Carolina is black. Hispanics make up nearly the same percentage in Nevada. Will the anti-establishment message of Trump and Sanders continue to resonate?
Only time will tell. Until then the message from Iowa and NH is clear.
Washington is broken. Nothing works. It’s time to call in a different type of contractor to fix it.
Establishment candidates need not apply.
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